looking back

by brittniinink

It’s that time of year: When our calendar reaches the last page, when we finally find time to spend with friends and family, when we eat far too much knowing that the time to turn over a new leaf is at hand. We know what it’s going to feel like, because we’ve been here before. Thank goodness we have the cyclical seasons greetings to give us stability in our linear timeline.

Looking back from this point in the year, it’s been a good one. I got to see my play develop from cradle to stage. I was hired after a long search for employment, and I still love working there. I’ve read more contemporary novels and local authors than I have in previous years (all of the books I read this year took up more than the one shelf I thought they would need). P. and I learned a lot about relationships, and about each other.

We also went through some hard stuff: our dog passing away. Long swaths of unemployment. Ending our two-years-running podcast. These all come with their own kind of sadness.

But now, we can look back on all of these things, and look toward the future as well. There is so much to be thankful for. There is so much to grieve for. There is so much to reflect on, so much that can be changed for the better. So much life.